The Ghost Writer: Giving Directions - Imperative Forms

This movie is amazing. I love Roman Polanski's films and this one is no exception. This scene is great because of the clear instructions given by the car's GPS.

I. Read the instruction the driver received from his GPS while driving to his destination. Choose the right verbs from the given ones below before watching the video.

You may repeat them.

TURN - PROCEED - JOIN - MAKE - TAKE

1. __________ road when possible.

2. In 200 yards, ____________ left.

3. __________ around when possible.

4. _____________ to the indicated route.

5. In 200 yards, ____________ the next exit.

6. In half a mile, _________ a short right turn.

You have reached your destination!

II. Now watch the segment and check your answers.

Answers: 1. join, 2. turn, 3. turn, 4. proceed, 5. take, 6. make


II. Work with a partner. Choose 2 easy-to-reach destinations in your city and give each other instructions to get there driving.

Ex: From Park Shopping to Carrefour.



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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE GHOST WRITER

The Green Zone: Scanning - Teaching Reading

Of course Scanning is not a grammar point, but it is a technique we teach students to read better. Since many readings are sources for grammar points, I used this segment to have students practice scanning for information in a written text.



Scanning is a technique to search for key words or ideas. In most cases, you know what you're looking for, so you're concentrating on finding a particular answer. Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words and phrases. When scanning, look for the author's use of organizers such as numbers, letters, steps, or the words, first, second, or next. Look for words that are bold faced, italics, or in a different font size, style, or color.

I. You will watch a scene of an invetigator scanning for information. He googles Lawn Dayne / Wall Street Journal / WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction). Scan the information along with the main character in the movie and write down all key words and data you can see.

II. Watch the segment again and complete your data collection.

II. Work with a partner and come up with an article summarizing the information you put together. You may use your imagination to come up with an interesting article. Don't forget to add a title to your article.







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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE GREEN ZONE

Radio Days: While x During

Woody Allen is one of my favorite directors. I don't usually find scenes for my purposes, but this movie is full of them. I think this scene is fantastic because burglars end up helping the family they are robbing. I used it to practice the difference between the use of while and during.

A. Watch the movie segment and decide if the best alternative is while or during.

1. The phone rang while / during they were robbing the Needleman's house.

2. The burglars answered he phone while / during the robbery.

3. The TV host called the Needlemans while / during the radio show.

4. They were supposed to guess that tune while / during the band was playing it.

5. The Needlemans received the winning prize while / during they were standing on the porch.

6. The Needlemans were so surprised that they didn't do anything while / during the delivery.

Answer key:

1. while 2. during 3. during 4. while 5. while 6. during

B. Now write down 3 things that you do:


While you are talking on the phone.

1 ........................................................
2 .......................................................
3 ......................................................


During a party:

1 ......................................................
2 .....................................................
3 .....................................................

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - RADIO DAYS

1408: Reflexive Pronouns

This thriller is based on a Stephen King's short story. As you can tell, it is scary, but it is not a violent movie. This is an exciting scene that I used for practicing reflexive pronouns with my students, because the snippet shows objects moving by themselves inside a hotel room, which number is 1408. This activity makes the grammar point more meaninful, I guess.





I. Work in pairs:


1. Do you believe in supernatural activities? Explain it.


2. Have you ever seen or known someone who has experienced supernatural activities?

3. Would you stay in a hotel which is famous for having ghosts? What about a history of murders? Why (not)?

4. Would you like to make contact with people who have passed away? Why (not)?


II. Watch the segment and complete the blanks with a reflexive pronoun:

MYSELF - YOURSELF - HIMSELF - HERSELF - ITSELF - OURSELVES - YOURSELVES - THEMSELVES

1. The main character, Louis, served _________a drink.

2. The radio started playing a song by ________________.

3. The alarm clock reset ________________ to 60:00.

4. Louis recorded _____________ saying what was going on in the room.

5. The window closed by ______________ and hit Louis's fingers.

6. He started washing ____________ when the faucet started doing unexpected things by ______________.

7. The curtains were moving by _________________.

8. What about you? Would you spend the night in this room by ___________.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - 1408



Answer key:

1. himself
2. itself
3. itself
4. himself
5. itself
6. himself / itself
7. themselves
8. yourself

Avalon: Modal Verbs May (Permission) x Can (Ability)

This scene seems to be especially made for teachers of English who are teaching the difference between CAN and MAY. This grammar point can be quite confusing for Brazilians, because both modals have the same translation - poder - in Portuguese, so the meaning can be unclear for us. This segment helps students understand the difference.

I. Match the verbs with the definition:

1. CAN

2. MAY

( ) It is if you are capable of doing something.

( ) It is asking for permission.

II. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.

III. Now read the dialog between a Brazilian teacher of English and a Brazilian student. Then complete the blanks with Can or May.

*Cultural note:

The native language spoken in Brazil is Portuguese.

T - Hello, students.

S - Hello, teacher. __________ I go to the restroom?

T - Not now. After class, OK?

S - Okay. _______ I speak Portuguese*?

T - Only if it is really important. Is it?

S - No, it isn't. __________ I do the homework now?

T - Not now. It is HOME work, dear.

S - Okay, teacher. But _______ I do the homework or is it very difficult?

T - The homework is easy, relax.

S - ____ I speak English like an American?

T - Well, not now, but in a near future...

S - Great! _______ I drink some water now?

T - Okay, but be fast.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - AVALON

Answer key:

I. 1, 2

III. may, may, may, can, can, may

Fearless: So x Such

This is an intriguing film. I used this scene to practice the use of so x such, activity which is adapted from the awesome blog If the Ship Sinks, We Have the Survival Kit, by Vania Rodrigues and Vinicius Lemos. Thank you, Vania and Vinicius, for providing us with such great and creative activities.

Vânia Rodrigues has been an EFL teacher for 20 years, 15 of which at a Binational Center in Brazil, Casa Thomas Jefferson. She has been a teacher, a Course Supervisor and is currently a Deputy Academic Coordinator at CTJ. She holds an M.A in Applied Linguistics from the Universidade de Brasília. Vinicius Lemos has been an English teacher for 15 years. He holds a B.A in Letras-Inglês (English Language and Literature) from Universidade de Brasília (UnB) and has been an EFL teacher at Casa Thomas Jefferson, Brasília, Brazil, for 9 years. He was a presenter at the 2010 TESOL Conference in Boston, USA and the 2011 ABS International Conference in Montevideo, Uruguay.



I. Imagine that you are in the plane accident that you see in the movie segment. Work in groups of three students. Somehow you know you will survive and be lost on a desert island with the other students in your group. Select 6 objects that you see in the airplane to carry with you to help you survive on a desert island. Choose the objects wisely.







II. Now that you have chosen the 6 objects, you have a surprise. You will not be able to use these objects for what they were originally designed for. So, it means you will have to find new uses for them in order to survive. Your objective is to convince your teacher that you are the ones who will survive. Use so or such to describe the object and its new use.

Ex: Glasses.


Glasses can be so useful that we can use the lenses to start a fire. / We may use glasses to start a fire in such a dangerous situation.


III. Your teacher will decide who will have more chances of surviving with the choses objects and how you will use them. The winning group gets a chocolate bar.


WORKSHEET. - Be careful - the worksheet may give away the surprise of the exercise.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - FEARLESS

License to Wed & Death at a Funeral: Letters of Complaints

Of course writing a letter fo complaint is not a grammar point, but I have been adding activities to practice the 4 skills, so this one is for writing. Letters of complaints are contextualized with very funny situations here. These scenes made this writing class much more interesting and meaningful.


I. Watch the movie segments from the movies License to Wed and Death at a Funeral. Both scenes are very funny, but they show consumers who are dissatisfied with the service they were provided with. When you watch the scene, make sure you observe what the problem was and how you would like the problem to be resolved.

License to Wed's Scene:




Death at the Funeral's Scene:




Imagine now that you are one of the characters from the segments you have just seen. Put yourself in his shoes and write a letter of complaint to the company who provided you with the service. Choose one of the scenes to complain. Follow the guidelines below:

• An introduction that clearly identifies the subject of the complaint. In the first paragraph you should identify what the issue is and any relevant information that you believe is important. Be sure to include the following information if it's applicable to the situation: the date/time of the issue, location, name of person on duty, name of product, what the problem was, your account number, model number, price, warranty information and reference number. Be sure to stick with the facts and avoid putting emotions into your letter.

• A body paragraph that (a) clearly and specifically explains the nature of the complaint, and (b) provides the reader with all of the information needed to provide an appropriate response. It should state what you would like done to resolve the situation. If you received poor service, you could request an apology or a coupon. If a product malfunctioned, you could request that you could exchange the product for a new one or request a refund.


• A conclusion that clearly states what actions are needed to remedy the problem. The last paragraph should thank the reader for thoe time. You can also throw in some compliments about something you liked about their company's product or service. You should include your telephone number/e-mail address after your printed name so that they can contact you ASAP if necessary. Be sure to keep a copy of the letter for yourself and include photocopies of any relevant documents and enclose them with your letter.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - LICENSE TO WED

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - DEATH AT A FUNERAL

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Tangled: Past Perfect (with Never)

This movie is amazing. The graphics and the story itself made me have a wonderful time during my trip to New Orleans, because I saw it on the plane that flew me there.



I. Write down at least one thing that you HAD NEVER DONE before the following moments in your life (select the items according to your group's ages.


- You met your current (last) boy (girlfriend) / You got married

(Ex: I had never fallen in love).


- You passed the vestibular (PAS) (College entrance exam) (started studying at college or your current school).

- You first traveled abroad (by plane).


- You got your first job.


- You got the job you have now.


- You moved to the house you live in now.


- You started studying English.



II. GAME - Work in pairs. Watch the segment and write down as many sentences as you can remember about what Rapunzel had never done before she left the castle for the first time. Each sentence with correct information and grammar use scores 1 point. The winner is the group that scores most points. You have 3 minutes to write the sentences.


- Ex: She had never seen a river.


1 ..........................................................

2 ..........................................................

3 .........................................................

4 .........................................................

5 .........................................................

6 .........................................................

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - TANGLED

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Answers will vary.

Sex and the City: Past Continuous x Simple Past

Activity provided by Carina Fragoso. Visit her handy site teachercarinafragozo.blogspot.com for really great ideas.
ENGLISH IN BRAZIL.Thanks Karina for sharing such an effective activity.

Movie Activity

Before watching the video:


1. Fill in the blanks using words from the Box:

her - affected - examined - their - American - focused

Sex and the City is an _________ cable television series. Set in New York City, the show _______ on four women (Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda), three in ______ mid-thirties and one in _____ forties. The series specifically ________ the lives of big-city professional women in the late 1990s/early 2000s and how changing roles and expectations for women ________ the characters.


Watching the video:



2. Carrie is a writer and her boyfriend Big has bought an apartment for them. She is thinking about selling her apartment to help him pay the new one. Based on the following scene, write T for true and F for false (10min-14min):





a) ( ) Big doesn’t want to get married to Carrie.


b) ( ) Carrie is surprised because he asked her to get married.


c) ( ) Carrie got Botox.


d) ( ) Samantha is disappointed because Carry is getting married.



3. Carrie’s boyfriend didn’t get married with her because he didn’t feel ready. He left her at the church. Based on the following scene, answer the questions (51min-55min):







a) Why did Big stop the car?
_______________________________

b) What was Carrie feeling?
_______________________________

c) Why didn’t Carrie say she felt he was strange?
_______________________________

d) Where were they going on honeymoon?
_______________________________



4. The girls decide to take the honeymoon that Carrie had booked. Based on the following scene, write T for true and F for false (57min-1h):






a) ( ) The receptionist was waiting for the girls.


b) ( ) Carrie thinks everything was a bad dream


c) ( ) Carrie didn’t sleep a lot.


d) ( ) Charlotte was afraid to eat the food because they were in Mexico.



After watching the video:


Based on the scenes we watched in class, write an ending for the story using the Simple Past and the Past Continuous.


Ex: Carrie found another boyfriend and she decided to travel to Brazil. When she was going to the airport, ...


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - PART 1

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - PART 2

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Adapted from Wikipedia.

Young Victoria: Had Better x Would Rather

I enjoy films about the Royalty. They are always about their kings and queens, but each story has a special flair and uniqueness. I love this great movie. I used the first scene to contrast had better x would rather in a contextualized way.




A. Watch the movie segment and pay attention to the Kensington rules, procedures Queen Victoria has to follow. Then complete the blanks with had better or would rather and the verb provided. Make sure you choose either affirmative or negative forms, according to the information in the segment. Tell your students that we are at the time of the scene and not nowadays in order to make sense.








1. She was born a princess, but she ______________ (have) an ordinary life.


2. Palaces are wonderful, but she _____________ (live) in one.


3. Her life is always in threat, so someone _____________ (taste) her food before her meals.


4. She can't attend school with other children, but she ___________ (go) to a regular school.


5. The Kensington rules are for her protection, so she __________ (sleep) in a room with her mother.


6. She __________________ (walk) downstairs without holding the hand of an adult.


7. Because Victoria is too young, her uncle wants to be her Regency, but she __________ (rule) the Kingdom herself.


8. She is unhappy, she she ____________ (change) her life and ______________ (be) free.



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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE YOUNG VICTORIA


Answer key:



A.

1. would rather have

2. would rather not live

3. had better taste

4. would rather go

5. had better sleep

6. had better not walk

7. would rather rule

8. would rather change / be

TEFL Conference - SP

TEFL has been a great conference. Excellent presentations and professionals from the Casa Thomas Jefferson, ALUMNI - SP and IBEU - RJ eager to share their knowledge. If you have attended it, leave your impressions here, please. It is a pity it will end tomorrow.

The Karate Kid: Phrasal Verbs

This new version of Karate Kid in a pretty decent one. In fact, I prefer this one much better than the one from the 80's. This scene is perfect for basic learners to practice the use of phrasal verbs in a contextualized manner and have fun, playing a non-competitive game with it.




I. Before you watch the segment, try to match the verb and the preposition in order to make phrasal verbs. The object pronoun is the word JACKET (it). Remember: these phrasal verbs are separable and the word JACKET (or it) will come between the verb and the preposition. There is more than one possible matching.

PUT - TAKE - HANG - TAKE - PICK

THE JACKET (IT)

OFF - ON - UP - DOWN

II. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.

III. GAME:


- Give each student a piece of clothing or ornament ( a handkerchief, a shirt, a jacket, a ring, a bracelet, etc).


- Student 1 tells the class what they are supposed to do with the objects, using the phrasal verbs above. He has to be fast and the other students have to perform the action. When someone makes a mistake, he/she will be the next one to give the instructions.


Ex: Put it on, take it off, put it on, take it down, pick it up, take it down, put it on, etc.



MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE KARATE KID

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Answer key: The instructions in the segment and the correct phrasal verbs are:


"Put on your jacket, take it off, hang it up, take it down, and pick it up" ~ Mr. Han

Up: Used to

In my opinion, this is the best animated movie of all times. I laughed, but I cried a little too. This touching story has this beautiful scene that I used to practice the use of USED TO. It is great for the simple past tense too, but this will come up at a different post. Hope you enjoy it like my students did.

I. Watch the movie segment and check the activities the couple used to do during the years they lived together.

1 ( ) work around the house together

2 ( ) do home improvement

3 ( ) look for object shapes in clouds

4 ( ) swim on the beach

5 ( ) travel around the world

6 ( ) sell balloons

7 ( ) read books together

8 ( ) share the good and bad moments of life

9 ( ) save money for rainy days

10 ( ) go windsurfing

11 ( ) wear different kinds of ties

12 ( ) dance romantically

13 ( ) Be happy

14 ( ) Fight all the time

Answers: Incorrect items - 4, 5, 10, 14

II. Now write the items above using USED TO or DIDN'T USE TO.

Ex:

1. They used to work around the house together.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - UP

Blindness: Modal Verb for Ability - CAN

Saramago's book had a decent adaptation, which was filmed in São Paulo. This intriguing scene is great for beginners to practice the modal verb for ability CAN.

I Watch the movie segment and check the activities that the main character in the segment can do.


1. ( ) Drive home

2. ( ) Hear the car horns

3. ( ) Open the car window

4. ( ) Say what happened to him

5. ( ) Walk without any help

6. ( ) See the traffic light

7. ( ) Go home without any help

8. ( ) Call his wife for help

II. Now rewrite the sentences using CAN or CAN'T.


Ex:

1. He can't drive.



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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - BLINDNESS



Answers:

2. He can hear the car horns

3. He can open the car window

4. He can say what happened to him

5. He can't walk without any help

6. He can't see the traffic light

7. He can't go home without help

8. He can't call his wife for help

Old Dogs: Because of x Because

This is a really funny movie. There are several scenes you can use to contrast the use of because and because of, but this one is one of the best. My students loved it.

I. Watch the movie segment and then complete the blanks with because or because of.

1. They broke into an enclosure ________ they were not allowed to get in.
2. They got terrified ___________ the gorilla.
3. The gorilla threw a tire at him ______ he was intimidated by the invaders.
4. The penguins attacked them ___________ they were defending their space.
5. The gorilla held him in its arms _________ his small size.
6. He got angry at penguins __________ the attack in the enclosure.
7. A superhero was hired _____________ the birthday party.
8. He wore the superhero outfit ___________ it was the only way to get in the party.
9. He fell into a pond _____ there was a problem with the flying device.
10. Everything he did was ________ his children.

II. Talk to a partner:

1. Do you like zoos? When was the last time you went to one?

2. Is it fair to keep animals in a zoo, instead of in the wildlife? Explain it.

3. What's your favorite zoo animal?

4. What would you do if you were caught in the gorillas enclosure?

5. Have you ever been attacked by an animal? Talk about it.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - OLD DOGS
Answer key
1. because 2. because of 3. because 4. because 5. because of 6. because of 7. because of 8. because 9. because 10. because of

(500) Days of Summer: Wish/ If Only

This is a great movie and this scene is perfect to practice the use of wish and if only, because it shows at the same time what the main character expected to happen before his date and what actually happened . The contextualization is perfect for this grammar point.






I. Watch the movie segment. Tom wanted his expectations to align with reality. Read what his expectations are and then write sentences paraphrasing his expectations, using wish or if only. Finally, write another sentence explaining what actually happened.


HIS EXPECTATIONS BEFORE THE DATE:


1. She will hug him tenderly when she receives his gift.

Ex: He wished she would hug him tenderly when she received the gift, but she just thanked him.

2. He will spend the whole dinner romantically talking to her.

.............................................................

3. He will give her a passionate kiss.

.............................................................

4. She will fall in love with him.

.............................................................

5. He will leave the dinner party with her.

............................................................

6. They will make up and be together forever.

............................................................




Answer Key:


Possible answers

1. He wished she would hug him tenderly when she received the gift, but she just thanked him.

2. If only he would spend the whole dinner romantically talking to her, but he ended up talking to her boring friends.

3. He wished he would give her a passionate kiss during the dinner party, but she didn't give him a chance to do it.

4. If only she would fall in love with him, but she had gotten engaged with another guy.

5. He wished he would leave the party with her, but he went home alone.

6. He wished they would make up and be together forever, but that didn't happen.




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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - (500) DAYS OF SUMMER

Juno: 2nd Conditional (with Would and Should)

This is a great movie. Teenage pregnancy is dealt with in a creative, different manner. My students had a lot to say about it. I used it to practice the second conditional in a contextualized manner.





I. Watch the movie segment and answer the following questions in groups:



1. Describe what happened in the segment.

2. What was her mother's reaction?

3. What was her father's reaction?

4. What was her friend's reaction?

5. What did Juno say she was going to do? Do you like her idea? What do you think will happen next?

6. What would you do if...? Make sure you use the 2nd Conditional.


If you were Juno?
If I were Juno, I would ...........................

If you were Juno's best friend?

If you were Juno's parents?
If you were the father of the baby?

If you were the foster parents to whom Juno promised to give the baby away.

II. Now imagine the same situation Juno is facing, but consider the father's situation below. What should the father of the baby do if:


- he were under aged too

- If he were under aged too, he should ...

- he were over 18

- he were over 40

- he were married

- Juno denied to reveal the father's identity

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - JUNO